Keywords
Citation
(2000), "Elettronica ART comparison with MoM opens the way to quick, low cost radome modelling", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 72 No. 6. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.2000.12772fab.017
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2000, MCB UP Limited
Elettronica ART comparison with MoM opens the way to quick, low cost radome modelling
Elettronica ART comparison with MoM opens the way to quick, low cost radome modelling
Keywords: Elettronica Systems, Chelton Radomes, Software
The Elettronica Systems Algebraic Ray Tracer (ART) software tool has accurately modelled the beam pattern of a representative array antenna under a radome, in a recent project undertaken for Chelton Radomes Limited, Stevenage, formerly the Systems and Equipment Division of BAe. The contract was overseen by research manager, Dr Ray Simpkin and the results on this two-dimensional (2D) radome were similar in many respects to those achieved from a Method of Moments (MoM) study, with agreement between radiation pattern predictions good – especially close in to the main beam and for flashlobes.
"Where ART will really offer major advantages in time and cost will be for more complex three-dimensional (3D) radomes for which MoM analysis is currently intractable computationally", says Dr Simpkin.
With the high cost of aircraft radome development and manufacture, ART is believed to be set to play a major role in the assessment of radome performance, as it gives an opportunity to optimise designs by ordering many potential configurations against requirement. The Elettronica software can be used on a desktop computer and is said to provide the ability to trace millions of rays within geometrically defined structures of all complexities. Integration of such ray representations can be used to rapidly predict radar cross section (particularly re-entrant structures), complex antenna patterns (e.g. scanning Monopulse seekers) and deterministic communications channel characteristics (e.g. for in room propagation modelling.)
Details available from Elettronica Systems Ltd. Tel: + 44 (0) 1329 282832; Web site: www.elettronica.co.uk